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Oregon opts for federal exchange

The board overseeing Oregon's nonfunctional health insurance exchange unanimously approved the Obama administration's plan Friday to take over the marketplace, making Oregon the first state to drop its enrollment website for healthcare.gov.

29 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 28, 2014

Today's headlines include a number of stories examining the impact of the health law in various states.

28 Apr 2014

Va. lawmakers back at work, but not dealing with Medicaid impasse

Republicans in the General Assembly are opposed to expanding the program for low-income residents, but that could threaten the passage of a state budget. Meanwhile, news outlets look at the issue in North Carolina, Missouri and Arizona.

25 Apr 2014

Detailing the winners: Which insurers scored the most health exchanges sign-ups

In California, it was Anthem Blue Cross, while Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain Health Plans and the Colorado HealthOP appeared to fare well through that state's online insurance marketplace. Meanwhile, reports also track how the small business exchanges did in Rhode Island and Connecticut.

23 Apr 2014

California officials announce enrollee tally, note last-minute surge

Covered California, the state's online health insurance marketplace, signed up 200,000 people for coverage during the two-week deadline extension -- bringing the state's total to 1.4 million. The state's initial goal was about 815,900 for the six-month enrollment period that began Oct. 1, 2013.

21 Apr 2014

Sebelius resigning, OMB director Burwell tapped to head HHS

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning from the Obama administration after the rocky rollout of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, a White House official said Thursday.

11 Apr 2014

Majority of Medicaid sign-ups centered in 10 states

An analysis from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services found that 80 percent of the 3 million people who enrolled in Medicaid since Oct. 1 were located in 10 states. Also in the news, specific enrollment tallies from Michigan and the latest on Virginia's legislative stalemate over the expansion.

9 Apr 2014

Medicaid enrollment increases by 3 million since health law enrollment began

The number is not yet complete because some states have not reported their numbers and it doesn't include March sign-ups.

8 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 7, 2014

Today's headlines include stories about the next round of health law challenges the Obama administration faces as well as the new Medicare Advantage rates scheduled to be announced today.

7 Apr 2014

White House: More than 7 million health insurance sign ups

The official enrollment cut-off has come and gone, and the Obama administration is claiming a big win based on the last-minute surge of interest in online insurance marketplaces. President Barack Obama viewed the number as a rebuttal of the months-long criticism over the health law.

3 Apr 2014

Maryland scraps exchange software, will buy Connecticut's system

Now that the enrollment period has ended, the board that runs Maryland's troubled online insurance marketplace has opted to start over with a system that worked well in Connecticut.

3 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 2, 2014

Today's headlines include news and analysis about the 7 million insurance enrollment tally. Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in partnership with NPR, Eric Whitney writes: "The names of the big health insurance companies are familiar – Blue Cross, Aetna, United Healthcare. But what about CoOportunity Health, or Health Republic Insurance of New York? These are among 23 new health insurance companies that started under the Affordable Care Act.

2 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: 'Thrice-buried' Obamacare 'looks very much alive;' Ted Cruz 'gets an earful'

Back when rate shock, website problems and lagging enrollment were threatening to unravel the new health care law before it fully took effect, I concluded a column on Obamacare's repeated near-death experiences with the following warning to conservatives: ... What isn't killed outright grows stronger the longer it's embedded in the federal apparatus, gaining constituents and interest-group support just by virtue of its existence even if it doesn't work out the way it was designed. ... the serious right-of-center alternatives to Obamacare have always included policies to expand coverage, and with a coverage expansion accomplished, Republicans may find themselves effectively forced in a more serious direction. ... wherever they go and whatever they do, they will have to deal with the reality that Obamacare, thrice-buried, looks very much alive (Ross Douthat, 3/31).

2 Apr 2014

Enrollment dramas ripple through the states

As the health overhaul's first open enrollment period drew to a close, states experienced triumphs as well as tribulations -- whether they were running their own websites or using the federal exchange.

2 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 1, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including an array of stories as the health law's enrollment period comes to a close

1 Apr 2014

Utah's Medicaid efforts may pave route for other red states

Gov. Gary Herbert and aides have been meeting with federal officials to find a different option. Meanwhile, news outlets look at the Medicaid expansion battles in Virginia and Florida and Republican concerns in Illinois.

1 Apr 2014

First Edition: March 31, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations offer assessments of the administration's campaign to get people signed up for health care and a look at the issues going forward after today's deadline for most enrollments.

31 Mar 2014

MD Anderson's Jim Allison honored with 2014 Canada Gairdner International Award

A Canadian institution that annually recognizes seminal medical discoveries selected cancer immunotherapy leader Jim Allison, Ph.D., chair and professor of Immunology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, for one of its 2014 Canada Gairdner International Awards.

29 Mar 2014

House passes 12-month 'doc fix' by voice vote

The bill would avoid a 24 percent reduction in payment for doctors who treat Medicare patients, but the deal is still angering some Republican rank-and-file.

28 Mar 2014

First Edition: March 28, 2014

The White House said on Thursday that more than six million people had signed up for medical insurance plans under President Obama's health care law, exceeding the administration's revised goal for enrollment by the Monday deadline.

28 Mar 2014